1 day Ago By [email protected] (Spalding Today Columnist)
There’s nothing quite so calming as the gentle tick in a quiet room of a grandfather clock, more so than tumultuous story behind one such beautiful work owned by Spalding Gentlemen’s Society...
Spalding Gentlemen’s Society’s most precious clock has been marking the passing of time for the past 235 years, and was made by a Spalding clock maker. The Broderick clock came from the workshop of the Broderick family who made clocks for around a century. But the Broderick family history was anything but calm.
Four brothers, the sons of Thomas Broderick, and their children, were involved in the business. Clocks dating from the 1750s to the 1770s signed by Thomas Broderick are likely to have been made by Thomas senior, later versions bearing the same signature made by Thomas junior. Thomas senior had at least seven children.
Thomas senior is believed to have lived in Spalding, but at that time clockmakers would accept repairs and take orders from a regular base in a pub. Those ordering clocks would want it signed with their village or town, even if it had been made in an entirely different place. Some Broderick clocks are signed Kirton , even though they were most likely made in Spalding.
The Broderick longcase, or grandfather, clocks used a case style, often in oak, followed throughout the area, although the hood designs became more ornate. Thomas senior died in the early 1800s, leaving his widow Mary, whose maiden name may have been Creasey. Their eldest son, William, may have initially worked in Spalding, but later moved to Boston , where he died in 1822.
Boston offered a larger market for their goods. Thomas’s second son, Thomas junior, was born about 1753 and was married in Spalding in 1794 to Catherine Biggins. He was based in Spalding.
He took over his brother’s business in Boston after his death aged only 36. His brother’s widow, Ann, decided not to continue the business and published notice that Thomas junior, ‘clock and watchmaker and silversmith’ was taking over. Thomas advertised: “New watches made upon the most approved principles and every advantage taken to render this minute machine, ornamental and an useful timekeeper.
“Watches repaired expeditiously and every possible mean used to discover and remove intricate defects which so often obstruct the performance of so curious a machine (sic).” He went into some detail to explain improvements to maintain accurate time. Thomas and Ann appear to have fallen out and within nine months Ann placed another newspaper notice accusing Thomas of ill treating her and intention to sell off the remainder of her dead husband’s stock at a shop in West Street, Boston.
Thomas did not take this lying down and published his own notice accusing Ann of ‘execrable subterfuge to obscure her lucrative views for fixing in business’. He further said her ‘vile intentions’ led him to offer the premises back to her upon recovery of £50, which she had received from him. He said she was resolved to keep the £50 and open up a shop in direct competition.
He didn’t hold back: “This insatiate mortal, who is callous beyond all human feeling, solicited the future favour of (her) husband’s customers. “It is therefore now left to the discernment of a generous public, who is the aggressor.” Libel laws were different back then.
Another brother, Jesse, was in London when this fallout happened. He took over his dead brother’s shop as clock and watchmaker, and then took out a notice in 1793 distancing himself from the row between his older brother and his dead brother’s widow. He was most concerned that as Ann had not named the brother who had allegedly ill treated her, some might think it was him, Jesse.
Within two years Jesse was dead, but the society's Broderick clock ticks on. The society's museum is now closed for building work, but a changing display of exhibits is being maintained at Ayscoughfee Hall, Wednesday to Sunday, 10.30am to 4pm.
Admission is free. With thanks to South Holland Heritage and Brian and Joy Loomes..
